Method and apparatus for dyeing a continuous length of yarn

ABSTRACT

A takeup roll is rotated to wind a continuous length of yarn thereupon. During winding of the yarn, a dye roller positioned adjacent the yarn on the takeup roll contacts the yarn and discharges dye onto the yarn for dyeing said yarn.

United States Patent Meyer et al. [451 Mar. 21, 1972 [54] METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR [56] References Cited A CONTINUOUS LENGTH OF UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,543,098 2/1951 Dulken et al. ..68/202 1 1nvemrs= Richard Meyer; Rich"! Newmn, 3,530,693 9/1970 Dimond et a1. ..68/202 both of Bartlesville, Okla.

[73] Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Company Primary Emmi"erwim'f1m P'ice AttorneyYoung and Quigg [22} Filed: Aug. 17, 1970 [2]] Appl. No.: 64,399 [57] ABSTRACT A takeup roll is rotated to wind a continuous length of yarn thereupon. During winding of the yarn, a dye roller positioned [52] U.S.Cl ..8/149,8/l55,68/203 adjacent the yam on the takeup to" contacts the yam and [5 l Int. Cl ..B05c 1/10 discharges dye onto h am for dyeing said yarn. [58] Field of Search ..68/202, 203; 8/149, 155

7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 25 L f I V, t f l0 will a a METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DYEING A CONTINUOUS LENGTH OF YARN In yarn manufacturing, it is desirable to provide an apparatus and method for dyeing the yarn during the winding up of said yarn to form a yarn package.

This invention therefore resides in an apparatus and method for winding a continuous length of yarn and dyeing said yarn during the forming of a yarn package thereof. It is also an object of this invention to provide an apparatus and method for dyeing the yarndifferent colors along the length of said yarn.

Other aspects, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a study of the disclosure, the appended claims, and the drawing.

The drawings are diagrammatic views of the apparatus of this invention.

FIG. 1 shows a frontal view of the apparatus,

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the apparatus, and

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the apparatus.

Referring to FIG. I, a yarn 2 discharging from a spinning process, a yarn storage, or other yarn processes (not shown) is wound about a longitudinal takeup roll 4. The takeup roll is rotated about its longitudinal axis by power means 6 such as an electric motor, for example. A traverse means 8 (better seen in FIG. 2) is associated with the yarn 2 for guiding a continuous length of yarn along the length of the takeup roll 4 during rotation of the roll and resultant winding of the yarn 2 onto said roll 4. The type of traverse means 8 that is employed can be of several types known in the art which guide the yarn for forming a neat yarn package 10 on the takeup roll 4.

At least two dye rollers, preferably a plurality of dye rollers 12,14,16 and 18, each having a dye reservoir 20 and an axis substantially parallel to the takeup roll 4, are positioned adjacent to takeup roll 4. The dye reservoir 20 of each dye roll is in liquid communication with a longitudinal surface 22 of the roll 12. The longitudinal surface 22 is an absorbent material 23, such as felt and the like, which has sufficient permeability and porosity for the passage of dye therethrough at atmospheric conditions. The dye rollers 12,14,16 and 18, for example, are preferably freewheeling about their axis. The dye roller surface 22 of at least one of the rollers is contacting a portion of the yarn package 10 during at least a portion of the period that yarn 2 is being wound on said takeup roll 4. Contacting of the roller surface 22 with the yarn package 10 during rotation causes the dye roller to rotate and pass dye from the dye roller 12 onto the yarn 2.

Referring to FIG. 2, it is preferred that a controlling means 24 be associated with at least a portion of the dye rollers 12,14,16 or 18 for independently, separately and intermittently moving at least one of the dye rollers between the first position shown at which the surface 22 of the dye roller 12, for example, is in contact with the yarn package 10 and a second position, shown by broken lines, at which the surface 22 of said dye roller 12 is spaced from the yarn package.

That controlling means 24 can comprise, for example, a solenoid 26 operably connected to the roller 12 and to a switching device 25,25 comprising an electric eye circuit (not shown) and activated by the traversing thread guide or other actuation means such as, for example, electrical contacts on a guide rail 28 over which the operating traverse means 8 passes.

One suggested modification of the apparatus shown in FIG. I is the positioning of at least two adjacent dye rollers 14,16, for example, spaced a distance one from the other along the length of the takeup roll 4 for dyeing only portions of the yarn along the length of the yarn. This undyed yarn portion is indicated by numeral 30 in FIG. 1.

The apparatus of this invention has been described with reference to a single dye roller, cylinder, and controlling means for simplicity. As shown on the drawing, each dye roller of the reservoir can be provided with a similar individual system depending upon the desires of the operator and the amount of control he desires over the apparatus.

In another embodiment of this apparatus as shown in FIG. 3, the dye roller or applicator has a plurality of separate sections 12,14,16 and 18 in rolling contact with the takeup roll 4, with the axis of applicator roll 11 being parallel to the axis of takeup roll 4. The dye applicator roll 11 is hollow and supported by hollow bearing support 13. The separate dye applicator sections 12,14,16 and 18 are separated one from the other by the separator rings 15 in the interior of dye applicator roll 11. The inner surface 21 of each section is perforated for the transmission of dye to the outer felt-like material 22 made out of cotton linters which transfers the dye of the applicator roll to the takeup roll 4. Each section 12,14,16 and '18 has a separate source of dye from the dye supply lines 40,41,43 and 44. Dye is fed into these lines to spray heads 42 which distribute the dye in each section 12,14,16 and 18. The dye to the supply lines 40,41,43 and 44 is from an outside source not shown. If different colored dyes are fed to each supply line to the sections 12,14,16 and 18, the dye will be transferred to the takeup roll 4 so that the yarn yields colored lengths and cyclic bands with each band being a different color. For instance, the dye from section 12 of the applicator roll 11 will color the yarn in zone A of the takeup roll 4 to the color of the dye supplied to section 12, and zone B will be the color of the dye supplied to section 14, and so forth. If it is desired to have one of the portions of the takeup roll 4 to be its natural color, for example zone C, no dye is supplied to the applicator roll section 16.

Many variations are possible by use of the invention. For instance, the dye could be fed intermittently through one or more of the supply lines 40,41,43, or 44, yielding varying amounts of color and length of the yarn. It should be understood that other variations such as dyeing the yarn one color by supplying only one color of dye to all sections in the applicator roll and if desired two colors can be used in adjacent sections or alternate sections. Random color variations in the yarn can be accomplished by a randomly moving applicator roll 11 into and out of contact with takeup roll 4.

In the method of this invention, a yarn is continuously passed to the takeup roll 4. The takeup roll 4 is rotated by the power means 6 causing yarn to be wrapped about the roll 4. A traversing means 8 guides the yarn along the roll during wrapping of the yarn about the roll 4 for forming a neat yarn package 10. During rotation and resultant wrapping of the yarn 2 about the roll 4, dyes discharge from a dye reservoir of a dye roller through a covering material to the surface of the dye roller and onto a portion of the adjacently positioned yarn package. A different colored dye is provided in each adjacently positioned dye roller for dyeing the yarn with different colors along the length of the yarn.

In order to conserve dye and control the amount of dyeing performed on segments of the yarn, dye is preferably discharged from a single roller onto the yarn package only during the period when yarn is being wrapped on the portion of the roll that is spanned by that single dye roller.

It should be understood that the dye spacings, relative positions, intervening dyed portions, and intensity of dyeing of the yarn can be altered by changing the relative positions of dye rollers one to the other and the contact time of each roller with the yarn package. Random color variations in the yarn can be accomplished by randomly moving the plurality of dye rollers to their first positions in contact with the yarn package.

Other operations can be performed by the apparatus of this invention and, in addition, dye can be applied by the apparatus in a different manner. For example, yarns or fibers can be treated with various chemicals through the rollers. Such chemicals could be, for example, chemicals which condition the yarn for dyeing or intermediate dyes that are to be placed on the yarns. Another alteration could be applying a first material to the yarn with the apparatus and thereafter applying a second material with the apparatus for reaction on the yarn of the first material with the second material.

Other modifications and alterations of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing discussion and accompanying drawing and it should be understood that this invention is not to be unduly limited thereto.

What is claimed is:

l A method for dyeing yarn comprising:

continuously passing the yarn to a longitudinal takeup roll;

rotating the takeup roll for winding the yarn about the takeup roll and forming a yarn package;

providing at least two dye rollers adjacent the yarn package,

said rollers each having a different color dye contained therein and being adapted to pass dye from within the roller onto a surface of the roller; and

at least intermittently contacting the yarn package with the surface of each of the dye rollers during rotation of the takeup roll and winding of the yarn thereupon for passing dye from the surface of the dye roller onto the yarn thereby dyeing the yarn with different colors along the length ofthe yarn.

2. A method, as set forth in claim 1, including contacting the yarn package at spaced-apart locations along the length of the takeup roll for dyeing only portions of the yarn along the length of said roll.

3. A method, as set forth in claim 1, including controlling the contacting period of each of the dye rollers with the yarn package for passing dye from a surface of a single dye roller onto the yarn package only during that period when yarn is being wound on that longitudinal portion of the takeup roll that is spanned by said single dye roller.

4. An apparatus for dyeing at least portions of a continuous length of yarn, comprising:

a longitudinal takeup roll having a longitudinal axis;

means connected to the takeup roll for rotating said roll about its longitudinal axis;

traversing means for guiding a continuous length of yarn along the length of the takeup roll during rotation of the roll and winding of the yarn onto said roll forming a yarn package on said roll; and

at least two dye rolls each having an axis substantially parallel to the takeup roll and a dye reservoir in liquid communication with a longitudinal surface of the roll, said longitudinal dye roller surface being an adsorbent material having sufficient permeability and porosity for passage of dye therethrough at atmospheric conditions, said dye rollers being freewheeling about their axis and said dye roller surface of at least one of the rollers contacting a portion of the yarn package during at least a portion of the period that yarn is being wound on said takeup roll for rotation of the dye roller in response to rotation of the takeup roll and passage of dye from the dye roller onto the yarn.

5.' An apparatus, as set forth in claim 4, including controlling means associated with the dye rollers for independently, separately moving at least one of the dye rollers between a first position at which the surface of the dye roller is in contact with the yarn package and a second position at which the surface of said dye roller is spaced from the yarn package.

6. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 4, wherein at least two adjacent dye rollers are spaced a distance one from the other along the length of the takeup roll.

7. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 4, further including means for separately passing dye into each of the separate dye rolls. 

2. A method, as set forth in claim 1, including contacting the yarn package at spaced-apart locations along the length of the takeup roll for dyeing only portions of the yarn along the length of said roll.
 3. A method, as set forth in claim 1, including controlling the contacting period of each of the dye rollers with the yarn package for passing dye from a surface of a single dye roller onto the yarn package only during that period when yarn is being wound on that longitudinal portion of the takeup roll that is spanned by said single dye roller.
 4. An apparatus for dyeing at least portions of a continuous length of yarn, comprising: a longitudinal takeup roll having a longitudinal axis; means connected to the takeup roll for rotating said roll about its longitudinal axis; traversing means for guiding a continuous length of yarn along the length of the takeup roll during rotation of the roll and winding of the yarn onto said roll forming a yarn package on said roll; and at least two dye rolls each having an axis substantially parallel to the takeup roll and a dye reservoir in liquid communication with a longitudinal surface of the roll, said longitudinal dye roller surface being an adsorbent material having sufficient permeability and porosity for passage of dye therethrough at atmospheric conditions, said dye rollers being freewheeling about their axis and said dye roller surface of at least one of the rollers contacting a portion of the yarn package during at least a portion of the period that yarn is being wound on said takeup roll for rotation of the dye roller in response to rotation of the takeup roll and passage of dye from the dye roller onto the yarn.
 5. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 4, including controlling means associated with the dye rollers for independently, separately moving at least one of the dye rollers between a first position at which the surface of the dye roller is in contact with the yarn package and a second position at which the surface of said dye roller is spaced from the yarn package.
 6. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 4, wherein at least two adjacent dye rollers are spaced a distance one from the other along the length of the takeup roll.
 7. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 4, further including means for separately passing dye into each of the separate dye rolls. 